Andy:
20A per room? Depends on the size of the room I guess. If each room was on its own breaker it would just be too many breakers and too many wires going all over the place. The rule for code is that the breaker must not be more than 80% loaded (I'm sure you know that). Each outlet is given a "rating" at 1.5A under the code when laying out circuits. So, that means you can have ten outlets on a 20A circuit, so as long as you do not have more than 10 outlets in those rooms, it's code-compliant. Otherwise it's not.
I sure wouldn't want the whole house on one lighting breaker. I would at least separate it by floor. If I'm working on a light or doing something that requires the lighting breaker to be shut off, there's no sense in cutting out the lights in the entire house. Makes no sense.
Technically yes, power strips or extension cords plugged into other power strips or extension cords is against code but it's not a big deal. It's done all the time. Code applies more to hardwired/permanent situations. If you want to talk code violations, the stove (or any major "permanent" appliance) being plugged into an extension is a code violation itself. All major appliances such as the fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave that is wall-mounted over the stove and serves also as an exhaust fan, etc must have their own receptacle in close proximity and for new construction, on their own circuits. I have an electric stove so I believe it is 240V so it would have its own circuit.
That living room sounds like a nightmare with the outlets added. If you ever do a major remodel that involves ripping the walls back to their studs I would totally rewire the house lol. Out of curiosity, why would you think a bathroom off the kitchen is a code violation? I know of a lot of homes that have a bathroom right off the kitchen/dining room area. The breaker panel in your bathroom is the bigger issue.
LOL It could possibly be a local code thing in some situations but in general, there isn't a rule about bathrooms off of kitchens, at least that I am aware of. Looked around online and didn't find anything.
@ xmaslightguy:
Yeah I wouldn't mind having the lighting solar powered and possibly solar hot water. If it was practical to have everything off-grid I would but if the solar went down or something I could easily just plug in a spare fluorescent or two to have some light, or if the grid power went out I would still have lights, albeit no other power. I could easily tap into the lights too for power with those screw-in plugs. I'd just use one of those code-violation-by-default nongrounded-to-grounded receptical adapters for three-prong plugs lol.
Uhh, obviously it's enough power since the breaker has never tripped. Remember, it's my house we're talking about, not yours.
20A for a 10X10 bedroom is ridiculous. There's no reason for a room that small to be drawing up to 2400 watts! I admit, I would rather have my own 15A breaker or share a 20A breaker with my brother just to have the means to use more power if I had to but all my brother plugs into his outlets is his alarm clock, radio, table lamp he never uses on his dresser, desk lamp, and iPod when it's charging. I definitely use more power than him lol. I have my alarm clock, radio, desk lamp, F14 strip over my bed, street light display, laptop, electric analog wall clock, exit sign, light-up do not enter sign, and electric razor. Most of those things I rarely use and none are high-draw things (the street light display would take the most power, but no more than 4 amps). A 10X10 room is really small. I have five outlets in my room and my brother also has five (the math doesn't add up though since code allows 8 max for a 15A circuit, so maybe the circuit is actually 20A. IDK. I'll have to check and get back to you guys).
The energy rate here is around 9 cents per kWh. Our kWh usage was 788 in March 2015 and was 1905 for August 2015 according to our billing history. The latest bill was about 200 dollars. I don't think we use a ton of electricity, but not sure if 788-1905 kWh per month is a lot or not. Yikes sounds like you need to add a circuit! Obviously easier said than done though lol. As for the lighting being on the same circuit as the outlets, that's a pet-peeve of mine lol. I thought it was a code violation flat-out, but it's actually compliant in new construction to do that as well. The only exception is that kitchen receptacle circuits, small appliance (stove, fridge, etc) receptacle circuits, and bathroom receptacle circuits feeding more than one bathroom cannot have lighting on them, only outlets (and small appliance receptacles must be on their own dedicated circuit anyway, so not even other receptacles can be on the circuit, old houses being grandfathered in of course).